• Reading List

     
    A few favorites from my summer reading list, whether at the beach, on my front porch, or barely keeping my eyes open before bed...and one even through ear buds while I worked away in the studio:

    Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng - A captivating tale of family dynamics, the interplay of overlapping lives, and the ways we love or fail to. (I listened to this on Audible.)

    Beartown by Fredrik Backman
     - So much more than just a story of hockey, I was riveted by this small town and its beautifully-captured inhabitants. 

    The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks - Y'all know I love some personal development, and this one was an interesting take on the possibility that we - even inadvertently - prevent ourselves from enjoying the best that life has to offer us. 

    The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman - Such a warm-hearted, sweet story of an endearing single mother and her people - newly-found and newly-appreciated.

    Born a Crime by Trevor Noah - I'm still listening to this one during school drop-offs and am fascinated by Noah's stories of growing up with an entirely different experience than my own. I know very little about South Africa and appreciate so much learning from his perspective.

    Happy reading / listening!

     

    Posted by Emily Maynard
  • Reading List

     

    We've started the summer on our front porch with stacks of library books; if you ask us, the perfect way to spend a sunny day. A few favorites lately:

    My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - I found myself cheering on the almost-8-year-old main character and laughing out loud at her clever, astute, and hilarious observations.

    The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown - I'm a fan of anything with Paris in the title, and it only gets better if the heroine of the book finds her footing, courage, and herself along the way.

    The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav - Full disclosure: I'm super interested in different spiritual paths and learning about the soul, so this was definitely my jam...but I listened on audiobook and it is not lively or exciting in presentation. At all. Nor always comprehensible, and it kind of hurt my brain to consider some of the ideas, but it was fascinating. You know, if you're into that kind of thing. And Oprah is (she reads an introduction,) so there's that.

    The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein - Another one I listened to as an audiobook, and I adored the reader, transporting me to the alluring countrysides of Scotland with her beautiful accent. A murder mystery with jewelry AND a strong female lead meant I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.

    This Must Be The Place by Maggie O'Farrell - a love story that is equal parts complex, real, funny, and warm-hearted. 

     And, my 7-year-old's (pictured above) tried-and-true favorite will always be: The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home, both by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. 

    Happy reading! 

    Posted by Emily Maynard